Here’s a look at some recent news for prospective and registered voters related to Wayne County’s next Election Day.
Absentee ballots
Qualifying Wayne County voters will be able to request and cast absentee ballots via mail in the Nov. 3 election.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the U.S. Postal Service can’t implement last-minute changes to mailed ballots as President Donald Trump ordered. Free Press Indiana says that in the 2024 general election, more than 180,000 Hoosiers voted by mail.
The deadline is Oct. 22 for Hoosiers to submit the ABS-MAIL form to request a ballot be mailed. They should contact their voter registration office for the required form by calling 765-973-9226, emailing voters@waynecounty.in.gov or downloading it at wwn.to/absballot.
Wayne County’s office, inside the courthouse at 301 E. Main St., is open from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Hoosiers must meet one of 12 criteria to vote by mail, such as 65-plus, being confined for illness or injury, or caring for someone who is homebound.
Indiana is implementing a new requirement when requesting applications for absentee voting by mail. Voters must supply one of four pieces of ID: their state driver’s license or identification number, last four digits of their Social Security number, or provide a copy of a government-issued photo ID.
Registration deadline
Prospective voters can visit their county voter registration office or sign up online at indianavoters.in.gov.
Both sources also can assist those who need to update outdated information such as their address and those wanting to verify their information is current before going to the polls.
Registration ends Monday, Oct. 5. In-person absentee voting starts the next day.
For more information, call 765-973-9304 or visit wwn.to/waynecovoters
Sign placement
Candidate signs are beginning to emerge for the second season. Indiana Department of Transportation reminds Hoosiers to place political campaign and other signs outside of the state right of way.
Campaign and other types of advertising are prohibited on state-owned or state-maintained property by Indiana Code 9-21-4-6, regardless of the time of year.
Areas that should remain sign-free include intersections, interchanges and rights-of-way that run parallel to highways, including medians, shoulders and roadside areas.
Where right of way is not clearly marked, boundaries may be estimated as a fence line, the back of a ditch or behind utility poles.
INDOT personnel may remove campaign and other nonpermitted signs from right of way as they are encountered in normal highway maintenance operations. Crews may also remove specific signs if they present an immediate safety risk, such as being too close to the roadway or obstructing sight lines.
Removed signs will be taken to the nearest INDOT facility and may be claimed during business hours. To report issues or concerns, or ask questions, contact INDOT Customer Service at indot4u.com or 855-463-6848.
Voter rally
Community members are invited to attend Wayne County’s chapters of League of Women Voters, NAACP and Indivisible’s free voter engagement rally.
The nonpartisan event takes place from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 1108 N. H St., Richmond.
Candidates from all parties have been invited to attend, organizers say, and participants are encouraged to learn why voting is important.
Poll locations and dates will be shared. Speakers are expected to offer inspiration and provide information about issues that are important to local voters and their families.
A version of this article will appear in the September 23 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
